Greenhouse Effect

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1.What is the greenhouse effect?

2.What is the greenhouse gas mission?
3.Why have they become more abundant in the atmosphere?
4.What are the consequences of the greenhouse effect?
5.What are the solutions?
The Atmosphere
A layer of air which surrounds the Earth

The Greenhouse Effect
Stabilizes the Earth’s temperature

Summar
y
The increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is due to the burning of fossil fuels and
other human activities. When the concentration of
carbon dioxide increases, there will be an increase on
the greenhouse effect. Global warming is an increase
in the average temperature of the atmosphere
surrounding the Earth, causing climate change.
CLIMATE CHANGE
 Climate change is a long range change in patterns of temperature, wind and
precipitation of a certain region or of the entire planet. The period can range from
decades or even millions of years.
What is the relation between global warming and climate change?

 Among the elements of weather and climate are temperature and precipitation.
Global warming contributes to climate change.
GLOBAL CLIMATES IN THE PAST
 The climate change phenomenon is not a recent one. Evidences from geologic
records, glaciers, pollen from fossil plants, fossil distributions, carbon and oxygen
isotopes and tree rings show that the earth's climate has been changing since ancient
times.
 You can delve deeper and investigate about cycles of ice ages and interglacial periods
in the past millions of years, dinosaur ages about 135 to 115 million years ago, other
periods of mass extinction 245 million years ago, and modern ice ages 3 million years
ago.
 Some people think that, since global
temperatures run in cycles of cold and warm due
to mining and burning of fossil fuels, naturally
occurring volcanic eruptions, and other factors,
there is no real controversy regarding global
warming.
 However, other scientists believe that, recently,
human activities have accelerated the warming
process so that the changes in world climate
are unstoppable. The amount of carbon dioxide
produced exceeds the amount of carbon dioxide
absorbed by natural carbon sinks.
 Life - including plants, animals, microbes, but especially humans
- is a major force in the carbon cycle. This can influence global
climate as it modifies the chemical makeup of the atmosphere.
Records about global climates in the past show that living
things have significantly altered the atmosphere during the
history of the earth.
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE:
• Generating power
• Manufacturing goods
• Cutting down forests
• Using transportation
• Producing food
• Powering buildings
• Consuming too much
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE:
 Hotter temperatures
 More severe storms
 Increased drought
 A warming, rising ocean
 Loss of species
 Not enough food
 More health risks
 Poverty and displacement
 When signs of global warming and climate change - rising temperature,
rising sea levels, melting mountain glaciers, floods, droughts, wildfires
 Towards the end of the 20th century, heat waves shocked India and
China. Meanwhile, wildfires burned down forests and homes in the
United States, Brazil, Spain, Greece, Russia and Indonesia. Scientists
believe that greenhouse gases produced by burning, especially fossil
fuels (coal, oil and gas), had something to do with such phenomena.
INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO
ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
 The first international effort to address
environmental issues was the creation of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) by
the World Meteorological Organization and the
United Nations Environment Programme. It was
tasked to assess scientific, technical and
socioeconomic information for understanding climate
change.
• In 1997, a meeting of 160 nations took place in Kyoto, Japan, in an effort
to limit emission of greenhouse gases by developed nations. It led to the
promulgation of the Kyoto Protocol.
• In 2005 and pursuant to the Kyoto protocol, industrialized countries (with
the exception of the United States and Russia) agreed to cut their
combined emissions to 5% below the 1990 levels by 2008-2012.
Thankfully, the rest of the nations are earnestly implementing
measures to solve their own environmental problems. This include:
(a) promoting greater awareness of environmental issues among
their citizen, and
(b) developing proper attitudes toward the environment among the
young members of society.
MITIGATION
To lessen the effects of climate change, we can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, especially in
relation to the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy. This includes the following:
(1) Using less energy by turning off the lights, television or computer, when you are not using them,
conserving water and recycling;
(2) Switching to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, geothermal, or wave energy from the sea,
instead of burning coal, oil or gas;
(3) Capturing landfill gases or making use of biogas as another energy source; and
(4) Using public transportation more often, walking to nearby destinations, or using bicycles to work or
school, among others.

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GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1.What is the greenhouse effect?

A layer of air which surrounds the Earth

Stabilizes the Earth’s temperature

What is the relation between global warming and climate change?

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